Winter Squash Risotto and Arancini

Winter squash risotto/arancini by Jon (plot 26)

INGREDIENTS

Risotto

1kg winter squash - such as butternut, uchiki kuri, crown prince. Peeled and cut into bite size chunks.

1 onion - finely diced

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp english mustard (or Italian mostarda syrup)

Handful sage

White wine (glass) - optional

75 g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

300g arborio risotto rice

1.5 litres veg stock - keep warm in a pan over a low heat

3 tbsp olive oil

50 g butter

Arancini

Winter squash risotto - cooled in fridge overnight

Plain flour (1/2 cup)

1 or 2 Eggs

Panko breadcrumbs

Deep fat fryer with fresh vegetable oil, or skillet with 100-200ml vegetable oil to half cover the arancini balls

Parmesan

Method - Risotto

1) Preheat oven to 200C. Toss the squash cubes in the oil with a pinch of sea salt and place in a roasting tray in the oven with 2 unpeeled garlic cloves. After 10-15 minutes, turn the butternut pieces and add a few sage leaves. Keep on cooking until the squash is soft and is slightly browned.

2) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a wide based pan and soften the onions for a few minutes. Do not allow to brown. Once softened, add crushed garlic and allow to become fragrant, but not browned.

3) Add rice, and cook off slightly for a couple of minutes before adding the white wine. Stir in the wine, lifting off any stuck piece of onion from the pan, and allow the alcohol to evaporate off.

4) Add a ladle of vegetable stock, and stir in. Allow the liquid to be absorbed, stirring regularly. Keep on adding the stock a ladle at a time, and stir regularly, until the rice is cooked with a slight bite.

5) Meanwhile, blend half of the roasted squash in a food processer with half of the parmesan, the softened insides of the roasted garlic, the mostarda/mustard and a few fresh sage leaves.

6) Add the blended squash mixture to the risotto and stir through and warm through gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7) Serve topped with roasted squash cubes and parmesan to taste.

Method - Arancini

1) Dust hands with flour and shape about 80g of chilled risotto into a golf ball sized sphere. This is a bit of a messy job, but worth it. Repeat with the remaining mixture

2) Place risotto balls onto a flat baking tray and chill in a freezer for about 20 minutes to make them easier to work with.

3) Meanwhile, beat an egg in a bowl. Depending on the size of your eggs you may need two. Place flour in a separate bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.

4) One by one, coat a risotto ball in the flour gently. Once coated, dip in the beaten egg. Allow excess egg to drip off into same bowl, before adding the risotto ball to the panko breadcrumb bowl. Gently turn the risotto bowl in the breadcrumbs until fully coated, and place on a plate. Tip - try to use one hand for the dry ingredients (flour and panko) and your other hand for the egg mixture. This helps to make sure the breadcrumbs stick to your risotto balls and not your hands!

5) Once you’ve breaded all of the risotto balls, place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

6) Heat vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer or skillet to 175C. You will probably need to cook the arancini in batches. Carefully place a few balls into the oil, and cook for 4-6 minutes - until cooked through and golden brown. If using a skillet, turn the arancini a couple of times during frying to ensure even cooking.

7) Once cooked, placed your arancini balls on kitchen paper in a colander to remove excess oil. Repeat with the remaining batches of aranicini

7) Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.